Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system in which the body attacks healthy tissues primarily in the spinal cord and brain.
It is a debilitating and sometimes fatal disease that affects over 2.3 million people worldwide. There currently is no cure for MS, so slowing down it progression and lessening its symptoms are the treatment goals.
Conventional treatments are available, but many MS patients want the alternative, natural and effective remedy for their symptoms, which is medical marijuana.
MS Symptoms
Symptoms of MS include dizziness, fatigue, coordination problems, muscle spasms, difficulty eating, slurred speech, imbalance, tremors, tingling, pain, and many other symptoms. Since MS affects the brain and the spinal cord, basic processes that keep a person alive are affected. Deterioration of health occurs to the point that MS sufferers eventually cannot take care of themselves, speak, or walk.
Causes of MS
The cause of MS is not thoroughly understood. Some researchers think that environmental factors trigger the onset of MS in genetically susceptible people. Other researchers believe that early-life exposure to particular viruses are to blame, while others blame hormones or a lack of Vitamin D.
How is Testing for MS Done?
Diagnosis for MS is usually made when the sufferer is an adult, between 20 and 50 years old. No tests that determine MS exists. MS is diagnosed after all other medical conditions that cause its symptoms are ruled out by blood tests, a physical exam, and by the person’s medical history. The person may be tested by spinal tap (taking a fluid sample from the spinal cord, looking for antibody abnormalities), by an MRI (looking for brain and spinal cord lesions), or by visual or electrical stimuli measurements to confirm a diagnosis of MS.
Types of MS
The types of MS are known by the prevalent symptoms and their progressions. Eighty-five percent of MS patients suffer from relapsing-remitting MS. Its symptoms include an attack, a remission, another attack, etc.
Primary progressive MS involves an increase in severity with little to no recovery time. Secondary progressive MS involves people who used to experience remissions but progress to the point that they no longer have remissions between attacks.
This comes faster to people who were first diagnosed at an older age. Progressive relapsing MS is when the patient has remissions but still experiences symptoms during those times that continue to get worse.
Treatment Options Exist for MS
Conventional treatments, which can only treat the symptoms, change the course of the progression, and/or shorten the recovery time after attacks, give terrible side effects and/or they damage the patient’s heart.
Corticosteroids are used to treat attacks, with minimization of inflammation as the goal. In the process, corticosteroids increase the vulnerability to infection, cause fluid retention, mood swings, increase the blood pressure, or they give the patient insomnia.
Plasma exchange is also sometimes done to patients who do not respond to steroids. Several conventional drugs are given to slow the progression of MS in patients who have the relapsing-remitting type of MS.
How Marijuana Treats MS
Cannabinoids have an anti-inflammatory effect, which makes them immune suppressants that slow the progression of the MS patient’s condition and alleviate the symptoms of MS.
Effects of Marijuana on MS per Research Studies
Government restrictions prevent widespread research, but many studies of medical marijuana have already proven that marijuana has therapeutic agents that treat muscle stiffness, spasms, pain, abdominal issues, depression, inflammation, and help MS sufferers to sleep better.
What an MS Sufferer Can Expect from Marijuana Treatment
Marijuana plant strain selection will be determined by using the patient’s medical history, the type of MS he has, the symptoms he is suffering, and the progression of the disease.
Marijuana can be vaped, eaten, or put on the skin topically among a few other methods of administration. Many people combine these methods. The side effects of marijuana are mild compared to those of conventional drugs.
They include diarrhea, sleepiness, increased appetite, and a euphoric feeling.
How to Get Started on Medical Marijuana Treatment for Relief of MS Symptoms
There’s no healthier or effective treatment than nature’s medicine. Call our Boca Raton Medical Marijuana Clinic today to pre-qualify for medical cannabis treatment.